• Daily detections drop below 100 yesterday
• 660,890 COVID-19 patients detected in total
• Includes 73,226 detections this year
• 7,312 persons under medical or home-based care

By Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya

Weekend COVID-19 detections totalled 257, with daily COVID-19 detections dropping below 100 yesterday.

According to health officials, 93 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. This is the first time daily COVID-19 detections have dropped below 100 since 15 October 2020, when 74 persons tested positive for COVID-19.

On Saturday, 164 persons tested positive for COVID-19. The Health Promotion Bureau states that 3,106 PCR tests and 1,942 rapid antigen tests were conducted on Saturday.

A total of 660,890 COVID-19 patients have been detected in Sri Lanka, out of which 73,226 patients were detected since 1 January. The country’s local cases also include 483,090 persons from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, 9,154 persons from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 persons from the Divulapitiya cluster.

In addition to this, 7,241 Sri Lankan returnees from overseas and 328 foreigners have also tested positive for COVID-19.

According to the Epidemiology Unit, 138,464 patients from Colombo, 114,070 patients from Gampaha, 58,088 patients from Kalutara, 45,303 patients from Galle, and 31,385 patients from Kurunegala have been detected.

COVID-19 detections during the third wave of the pandemic include 106,167 persons from Colombo, 95,536 persons from Gampaha, and 51,030 persons from Kalutara.

At present, 7,312 persons are under medical or home-based care and 804 persons suspected of having COVID-19 are under observation.

The Epidemiology Unit states that 31 persons were released from care yesterday, raising the country’s COVID-19 recoveries to 637,119. 

Five COVID-19 fatalities confirmed

14,416 persons vaccinated against COVID-19